"On the other hand, week after week I field relentless calls and emails from men, young and old, bristling with confidence and badgering for a spot.

"Some women tell me the show is too combative, too adversarial. Many admit they're hopelessly polite. Brilliant listeners, not interrupters. But these are sharp witty women who love to talk and have me in stitches on the phone."

Frustratingly, women who do appear are given "far less time to speak" than men, according to an editorial review conducted by journalist Ray Martin and former SBS boss, Shaun Brown.

The ABC will tackle this problem by drawing attention to it: each week, on its website, it will report how long each panellist spoke.

Waffling pollies? They'll have "strict limits" on their airtime, allowing the other guests (who are more likely to be women) a chance to talk.

"We're travelling more," she writes for Mamamia, "out of the Sydney studio, to other state capitals and regional centres – which is a good way of tapping into a wider pool of regional women. We're also aiming this year for more young panellists, under-35s, and from more diverse communities."

Q&A is regularly attacked by right-wing commentators who sense bias in the off-hand remarks of host Tony Jones, or the producers' choice of guests.